Sam Greco
Encyclopedia
Sam "Slam 'em" Greco is a retired Australia
n super heavyweight
kickboxer, heavyweight
mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
of Italian descent, who fought in Kyokushin
karate
, professional kickboxing
, and K-1
tournaments.
, Australia
Sam's Italian-born father Vittorio encouraged him to get involved with soccer from an early age and Sam became the youngest player ever to sign up with the Italian premier league team Juventus. He played as well for Heidelberg
soccer club in Melbourne
.
karate, and started competing in full contact karate tournaments.
Sam had his K-1 debut in 1995 at K-1 Hercules. Following year he appeared in his first K-1 World Grand Prix
tournament where he suffered his first loss in semifinals against Musashi
.
After retiring in 2005 from professional competition, Sam Greco worked as trainer for other fighters, including Bob Sapp
.
in the 2007 action thriller The Condemned
and also had a small part in the 2008 Australian boxing drama film, Two Fists One Heart which was shot in Western Australia
. He has also appeared occasionally in movies as a fight consultant and martial arts advisor.
He had a small part in the fourth episode of the Australian mini-series Underbelly
, playing nightclub bouncer Bruno Bolotzi. The episode was first broadcast in February 2008.
He had a small part in the eightieth episode of series three of the Australian comedy Pizza
, playing the roman soldier Glutious Maximus. He made another appearance for Pizza this time in a two part episode Holiday Pizza, playing Pauly's Italian cousin Luigi. The last appearance he made in Pizza was in the Cracker Pizza episode, playing Crackerus in the last season of the series. He also had a part in the first series of the Australian comedy Swift and Shift Couriers
as Louie "Luigi" Marietti. Both Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers were created by Greco's good friend Paul Fenech
.
He played the Masked Wrestler Zarkos in Scooby Doo. In the movie Zarkos appears as one of N'Goo Tuana's henchmen, but later he sneaks up on Daphne and captures her and steals the Daemon Ritus from her. Later in the movie he tries to sneak up on Daphne and capture her again but instead they end up fighting, near the end of the fight he grabs Daphne and throws her onto his back and puts her in a hold but she escapes and defeats him.
| Win
|align=center| 3-1-1
|
Shungo Oyama
| KO (knees and punches)
| Hero's 3
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:37
| Tokyo
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2-1-1
|
Heath Herring
| TKO (knee injury)
| Hero's 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:41
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 1-1-1
|
Lyoto Machida
| Decision (split)
| K-1 MMA ROMANEX
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1-0-1
| Stefan Gamlin
| Submission (rear naked choke)
| K-1 Beast 2004 in Niigata
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:25
| Niigata, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 0-0-1
| Masaaki Satake
| Draw
| Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
, Japan
|
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n super heavyweight
Super heavyweight
In amateur boxing, the super heavyweight division is a weight class division for fighters weighing in excess of 91 kilograms . Introduced for the 1984 Summer Olympics, the division, despite its grandiose name, is merely the amateur equivalent of the professional heavyweight division...
kickboxer, heavyweight
Heavyweight (MMA)
The heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally groups fighters between .Although many ambiguities exist within the lower weight classes regarding division naming and weight limits, the Heavyweight division is, for the most part, uniform...
mixed martial artist and professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
of Italian descent, who fought in Kyokushin
Kyokushin
is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by Korean-Japanese karate master, who was born under the name Choi Young-Eui . Kyokushinkai is Japanese for "the society of the ultimate truth". Kyokushin is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, professional kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
, and K-1
K-1
K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...
tournaments.
Biography and career
When growing up in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Sam's Italian-born father Vittorio encouraged him to get involved with soccer from an early age and Sam became the youngest player ever to sign up with the Italian premier league team Juventus. He played as well for Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
soccer club in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
K-1 career
He trained in KyokushinKyokushin
is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by Korean-Japanese karate master, who was born under the name Choi Young-Eui . Kyokushinkai is Japanese for "the society of the ultimate truth". Kyokushin is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training...
karate, and started competing in full contact karate tournaments.
Sam had his K-1 debut in 1995 at K-1 Hercules. Following year he appeared in his first K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix
K-1 World Grand Prix, also known as the K-1 World GP, is an elimination kickboxing tournament that has been held annually since 1993 by the K-1 organization. Each year, K-1 holds various 16-men, 8-match grand prix style tournaments throughout the world to determine which 16 fighters will compete in...
tournament where he suffered his first loss in semifinals against Musashi
Musashi (kickboxer)
is a retired professional Japanese Heavyweight karateka and kickboxer. He is 4 time K-1 Japan tournament champion, a former WAKO Heavyweight Muay Thai champion and two time K-1 World Grand Prix finalist...
.
After retiring in 2005 from professional competition, Sam Greco worked as trainer for other fighters, including Bob Sapp
Bob Sapp
Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–21–0, mostly fighting in Japan...
.
Acting career
He played the stunt double for retired professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve AustinStone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
in the 2007 action thriller The Condemned
The Condemned
The Condemned is a 2007 action film, co-written and directed by Scott Wiper, and starring "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Robert Mammone, Madeleine West and Rick Hoffman....
and also had a small part in the 2008 Australian boxing drama film, Two Fists One Heart which was shot in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. He has also appeared occasionally in movies as a fight consultant and martial arts advisor.
He had a small part in the fourth episode of the Australian mini-series Underbelly
Underbelly (TV series)
Underbelly is a 13-part Australian television mini-series that retells the real events of the 1995–2004 gangland war in Melbourne, and is the first series in the larger Underbelly Franchise. It depicts the key players in Melbourne's criminal underworld, including the Carlton Crew and their rival,...
, playing nightclub bouncer Bruno Bolotzi. The episode was first broadcast in February 2008.
He had a small part in the eightieth episode of series three of the Australian comedy Pizza
Pizza (TV series)
Pizza is an Australian black comedy television series on the Australian television network, SBS. It has also spun off a feature length movie in 2003, and in 2004 released a highlights video/DVD which also included previously unshown footage and a schoolies exposé theatre show entitled "Fat Pizza"...
, playing the roman soldier Glutious Maximus. He made another appearance for Pizza this time in a two part episode Holiday Pizza, playing Pauly's Italian cousin Luigi. The last appearance he made in Pizza was in the Cracker Pizza episode, playing Crackerus in the last season of the series. He also had a part in the first series of the Australian comedy Swift and Shift Couriers
Swift and Shift Couriers
Swift and Shift Couriers is an Australian comedy television series that first screened on SBS TV in October 2008. The series is produced, directed and written by Paul Fenech, who was also responsible for the comedy series Pizza. It is set around the staff who work at the 'Swift and Shift' Courier...
as Louie "Luigi" Marietti. Both Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers were created by Greco's good friend Paul Fenech
Paul Fenech
Paul Fenech is a film maker, television and film actor and writer from Sydney, Australia, best known for his role in Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers .-Career:...
.
He played the Masked Wrestler Zarkos in Scooby Doo. In the movie Zarkos appears as one of N'Goo Tuana's henchmen, but later he sneaks up on Daphne and captures her and steals the Daemon Ritus from her. Later in the movie he tries to sneak up on Daphne and capture her again but instead they end up fighting, near the end of the fight he grabs Daphne and throws her onto his back and puts her in a hold but she escapes and defeats him.
Titles and accomplishments
- 1999 K-1 World Grand Prix 3rd Place
- 1999 W.A.K.O.World Association of Kickboxing OrganizationsThe World Association of Kickboxing Organisations is one the international organization of kickboxing, and the governing body of Amateur kickboxing sport certified by SportAccord...
Pro World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Champion - 1995 The Best of the Best Tournament Champion
- 1994 W.K.A.World Kickboxing AssociationThe World Kickboxing Association is one of the oldest and the largest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of kickboxing in the world for the sport. Its official name is "World Kickboxing and Karate Association"....
World Muay Thai Super Heavyweight Heavyweight Champion - 1994 Karate World Cup Champion
- Commonwealth Karate Champion 1989-1991
- 6 time Australia Full Contact Karate Champion
Kickboxing record
| Kickboxing Record | |
|---|---|
Legend: |
|
Mixed martial arts record
|-| Win
|align=center| 3-1-1
|
Shungo OyamaShungo Oyama
Shungo Oyama is a Japanese mixed martial artist with a background in judo and sambo.-Early life:He was born in Nasu District in Tochigi Prefecuture, Japan on April 11, 1974 as Toshiyuki Oyama...
| KO (knees and punches)
| Hero's 3
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:37
| Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2-1-1
|
Heath HerringHeath Herring
Heath Herring is an inactive American Heavyweight professional mixed martial artist who attained popularity fighting for PRIDE FC in Japan and most recently fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
| TKO (knee injury)
| Hero's 1
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:41
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Loss
|align=center| 1-1-1
|
Lyoto MachidaLyoto Machida
Lyoto Carvalho Machida is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial artist from Belém, Brazil who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
| Decision (split)
| K-1 MMA ROMANEX
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1-0-1
|
Stefan Gamlin| Submission (rear naked choke)
| K-1 Beast 2004 in Niigata
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 0:25
| Niigata, Japan
|
|-
| Draw
|align=center| 0-0-1
|
Masaaki SatakeMasaaki Satake
is a Japanese former super heavyweight karateka, kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was one of the pioneering heavyweight fighters in K-1, after being a member of Kazuyoshi Ishii's Seido-Kaikan school and organization.-Biography and career:...
| Draw
| Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001
Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001
Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2001: K-1 vs. Inoki was a mixed martial arts event promoted by Antonio Inoki on December 31, 2001 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan....
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
| Saitama, Saitama
Saitama, Saitama
' is the capital and the most populous city of Saitama Prefecture in Japan, situated in the south-east of the prefecture. Its area incorporates the former cities of Urawa, Ōmiya, Yono and Iwatsuki. It is a city designated by government ordinance...
, Japan
|
See also
- List of K-1 events
- List of K-1 champions
- List of male kickboxers
- List of kickboxing organizations
External links
- Profile at K-1K-1K-1 is a defunct world-wide kickboxing promotion based in Tokyo, Japan founded by Kazuyoshi Ishii, a formerKyokushin karate practitioner. K-1 combines stand up techniques from Muay Thai, Karate, Taekwondo, Savate, San Shou, kickboxing, western-style boxing, and other martial arts...